A Whole New Life
by autumnrose2010
Summary: Based on the episode 'The Sixth Finger.' Suppose Gwyllm had survived the experiment? He and Cathy are married and begin a new life together in the United States. But have they really put the past behind them?
1. Chapter 1

_Warning: Slight lemon_

"I can't let you go!" Her hand was on the lever, tugging with all its might, as she watched the regression from the huge-brained creature of the future to the normal twentieth-century man. At last he stepped from the machine, walked slowly toward her, and lightly touched her face.

Professor Mathers appeared in the doorway. "I brought him back," Cathy said. "And he's glad. He touched me."

In the meantime, Gwyllm felt of his head to find that it was now of normal size, then looked at his hands to see that each had only five fingers again. "That was the strangest thing that ever happened to me," he said.

"I'm just so glad to have you back to normal!" Cathy exclaimed.

Gwyllm sighed. "So the experiment was a failure," he said. "Now there's nothing to do but to go back to the same old life that I hate."

"But I'm in your life now," Cathy reminded him. "I know that I can make you happy."

Gwyllm smiled gently and touched her face as he had before. "Life with you would make even the most abominable of circumstances bearable," he agreed. "Yet I can never return to my home now."

"We'll find a new place to live, together," said Cathy. "We'll make a fresh start in the United States, where no one knows us and we can leave the past behind us."

They were married at the courthouse in the small Welsh village, then immediately boarded a ship bound for New York Harbor. As Cathy stood on the ship's deck with Gwyllm's arm around her watching the coastline gradually recede until it was no longer visible, she realized that she'd just cut the final tie binding her to her old life, to everything she'd ever known and loved, in exchange for a new life that now seemed mostly a blank page.

A whole new life. With Gwyllm.

They stood there for a long time, watching the sun shine on the water and enjoying one another's closeness.

It was much later that they returned to their cabin, both eager but a bit shy. Cathy made the first move, pulling a still-clothed Gwyllm onto the bed while kissing him fiercely. Within moments, passion was ignited within them both, and their breathing deepened and quickened as they struggled out of their clothing. Her hands gently explored the smooth skin of his back, the soft down covering his chest, the narrow line of tuft leading to the soft nest of curls where his legs parted. He was hard, throbbing, ready for her. Gently her hand guided him to her slick opening, and then he was inside her. She gave a little gasp of pleasure as they began to move together, basking in the delicious friction.

It ended rather quickly, and they lay in one another's arms, Cathy's head resting on Gwyllm's shoulder. He was the first to speak. "Cathy?"

"Hm?"

"We might have just made a baby."

"We might have, I suppose." She hadn't really been thinking about it.

"If we did, suppose it isn't normal?"

"But of course it would be normal." She raised her head to look into his eyes. "Why wouldn't it be?"

"Because of the experiment, Cathy." "He rolled his eyes and sighed. "What if it permanently altered my DNA?"

"God, I hadn't even thought about that," Cathy said softly. "Well, I guess there's nothing we can do but wait and see." Eventually they both fell into a troubled sleep.

Life on the ship soon became boring and predictable. Gwyllm and Cathy enjoyed one another's company, making love frequently and trying to keep their minds on pleasant matters.

At last the ship reached its destination. Gwyllm and Cathy stood on the deck cuddling together as the Statue of Liberty came into view, wondering what life would be like for them from now on.


	2. Chapter 2

Life for Gwyllm and Cathy in the United States was difficult at first. Having never done any other type of work except mining, Gwyllm found that there weren't many positions that he was qualified for, but he was finally offered a job stocking shelves in a supermarket.

Several months after their arrival in New York City, Cathy began to experience certain physical symptoms that pointed toward only one possible diagnosis. "Gwyllm," she said to her husband one evening as they were relaxing after dinner. "I went to see the doctor today."

Gwyllm looked at her dolefully.

"I'm...I'm going to have a baby, Gwyllm. We're going to be parents."

Gwyllm nodded silently. He'd suspected as much.

"I'm...I'm scared, Gwyllm."

"So am I," he said softly. He put his arms around her and held her tight. "Whatever happens, we'll face it together."

Cathy's pregnancy proceeded normally enough. She never told her physician about the experiment Gwyllm had participated in, as she was too afraid of what he might say.

She was relaxing with Gwyllm late one evening after dinner when she felt her child move for the first time. "Our baby just moved!" she exclaimed, placing her husband's hand over her slightly rounded belly. "That means it's going to be all right, doesn't it?"

"I sure hope so," Gwyllm replied with a worried frown.

As the weeks passed, the baby's movements became stronger and more frequent. A thrill went through Cathy every time she felt the evidence that the new life inside her was healthy and vigorous.

"I love you so much," she told her child as she massaged her now greatly distended belly. "Everything's going to be all right. I know it will be."

It was late at night and a storm was raging outside when Cathy's labor pains began. She shook Gwyllm awake. "The baby's coming!" she said urgently.

His eyes grew wide. "I'll fetch the doctor," he said.

"No," said Cathy. "Stay with me. I need you here. I don't want to be alone."

"But if something goes wrong..."

"If it does, the doctor will be of no help."

As the night wore on, her pains grew stronger and stronger. She grasped the sheets in her fists and twisted them as she bit her bottom lip to keep from crying out in pain. Gwyllm looked on, frightened and helpless.

The morning sky was just beginning to turn a deep pink when it was finally time for the baby to be born. Cathy pushed and pushed and at last felt the baby slide from her body and into Gwyllm's waiting hands.

"Is it all right?" she asked her husband shakily. "I can't bear to look!"

"He's beautiful, darling." Gwyllm's voice was husky with emotion as he gently brushed the damp hair back from her face. "Perfectly normal in every way. Oh, Cathy, I love you so much!"

William was indeed a beautiful baby, with soft brown hair covering his head and his father's clear blue eyes. Cathy rejoiced as she examined every inch of his body closely and found that nothing at all seemed out of the ordinary. She counted his fingers and toes and found that there were ten of each.

"We did it, Gwyllm!" Tears of joy streamed down her cheeks as she embraced her husband.

William grew to be an active, curious little boy, always wanting to know all about everything he encountered. Gwyllm and Cathy noticed that he seemed wise far beyond his years, often using words that even they had to consult a dictionary to learn the meaning of.

On William's first day of school, Cathy proudly walked her son there, holding his hand. All the others children were there with their mothers as well. The teacher greeted them warmly.

Several weeks later, the teacher called Gwyllm and Cathy for a conference.

"I've never seen a student like your son before," she told them. "His reasoning ability is astronomical. He's light years ahead of the other students. I simply don't know what to do with him, as I'm sure he isn't being challenged by my lessons."

Gwyllm and Cathy looked at one another and smiled. They hadn't exactly expected this outcome, but they were not unhappy about it. Not at all.


End file.
